G guitar chord

G major · Gmaj · GM

The G guitar chord is played 320003 in open position. Its notes are G, B and D.

G open chord (320003)

Fingering: 320003
Fingers: 2 1 – – – 3
Difficulty: Easy
Position: open position

G barre chord, 3rd fret (355433)

Fingering: 355433
Fingers: 1 3 4 2 1 1
Difficulty: Hard
Position: barre chord, 3rd fret

G chord at the 5th fret (x55787)

Fingering: x55787
Fingers: – 1 1 2 4 3
Difficulty: Hard
Position: 5th fret

G barre chord, 7th fret (7-10-9-7-8-7)

Fingering: 7-10-9-7-8-7
Fingers: 1 4 3 1 2 1
Difficulty: Hard
Position: barre chord, 7th fret

PNG PDF

Notes in the G major chord

The G chord is made of G · B · D. Its formula is 1–3–5.

Note	Degree	Interval from G
G	1	root
B	3	major third
D	5	perfect fifth

How to play the G guitar chord

Second finger on the 3rd fret of the low E string, first finger on the 2nd fret of the A string, third finger on the 3rd fret of the high E string. The D, G and B strings ring open, and you strum all six.

Many teachers finger it with the third, second and fourth fingers instead. It feels harder for a week, then makes the change to C much quicker, because the first finger is already free.

Why your G chord buzzes or sounds muted

The finger on the A string tends to lean on the open D string and mute it. Check by picking the D string alone.

The stretch from the low E string to the high E string is wide. Bring your wrist forward, under the neck, rather than trying to reach with the fingers alone.

G barre chord

G has 2 barre shapes here: 355433 (barre at the 3rd fret) and 7-10-9-7-8-7 (barre at the 7th fret).

A barre shape has no open strings, so it moves. Slide any of them up one fret and you are playing G# (Ab).

G open chord

The open G chord is 320003. It uses the open D, G and B strings, which is why it rings longer than the shapes higher up the neck.

Songs that use G

Wonderwall (Oasis): Em7 G Dsus4 A7sus4 Cadd9
Knockin' on Heaven's Door (Bob Dylan): G D Am C
Let It Be (The Beatles): C G Am F
Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd): D C G
Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison): G C D Em
Hotel California (Eagles): Bm F# A E G D Em
Riptide (Vance Joy): Am G C F
Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen): C Am F G E7
Zombie (The Cranberries): Em C G D
Bad Moon Rising (Creedence Clearwater Revival): D A G
Leaving on a Jet Plane (John Denver): G C D
Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd): Em7 G A7sus4 C D Am
Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show): G D Em C
Hey Joe (Jimi Hendrix): C G D A E
Ain't No Sunshine (Bill Withers): Am Em G Dm
Losing My Religion (R.E.M.): Am Em Dm G F C
Creep (Radiohead): G B C Cm
La Bamba (Ritchie Valens): C F G
Dreams (Fleetwood Mac): Fmaj7 G
Heart of Gold (Neil Young): Em C D G
Nothing Else Matters (Metallica): Em D C G B7 Am
Blowin' in the Wind (Bob Dylan): G C D
Fast Car (Tracy Chapman): Cmaj7 G Em D
Have You Ever Seen the Rain (Creedence Clearwater Revival): C G Am F
Californication (Red Hot Chili Peppers): Am F C G Dm
All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan): Am G F
Hit the Road Jack (Ray Charles): Am G F E7
Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton): G D C Em
Hey There Delilah (Plain White T's): D F#m Bm G A
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding): G B C A E
No Woman, No Cry (Bob Marley): C G Am F
Redemption Song (Bob Marley): G Em C Am D
Lean on Me (Bill Withers): C F G
Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash): G C D
With or Without You (U2): D A Bm G
Imagine (John Lennon): C Cmaj7 F Am Dm G E7

Chord names only, as the songs are usually charted for guitar. Recordings may use a capo or another key.

Keys with the G chord

G is the V chord in C major, IV chord in D major and I chord in G major. In minor keys it is the VII chord in A minor, VI chord in B minor and III chord in E minor.

All major guitar chords

Every G chord on guitar

G guitar chord questions

How do you play a G chord on guitar?

Play 320003, reading from the low E string to the high E string. An x means the string is not played and a 0 means it rings open. The fingers used are 2 1 - - - 3.

What notes are in the G chord?

The G major chord has 3 notes: G, B and D. Its formula is 1–3–5, counted from the G major scale.

What keys is the G chord in?